Students develop online public service prototypes for Kent County Council

Multimedia Technology and Design students from the University of Kent have developed a range of online public service systems for Kent County Council (KCC).

During a one-day workshop on 25 March, students used digital technologies to transform innovative concepts into fully-operational prototypes. These included Magnifye, a smart phone application that enables people to report and visualise positive activities and issues going on in their community; Time Well Spent, an online timebank incentivising people to swap their skills for prizes; and GradLinkKent, a new way to match students looking for jobs and employers.

The KCC sponsored workshop, titled Transformed by You, took place in Bulb, a student enterprise area within the new Canterbury Innovation Centre on the University’s Canterbury campus.

Ania Bobrowicz, Lecturer in Multimedia Technology and Design at the University’s School of Engineering and Digital Arts, said: ‘We are very excited about this collaborative project with KCC. It has given our students an excellent opportunity to use their design and development skills while at the same time contributing to the local community and gaining experience from working for a real client.’

Noel Hatch, Projects and Research Lead from KCC, added: ‘The developed prototypes show that organising Transformed by You on campus can help Kent County Council have a better idea not just how digital technologies can transform the way people engage with each other and public services, but how we can unlock the digital talent in Kent to make this happen.’